Apparatus for testing ele ctric circuits



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No. 383,605. Patented May 29, 1888;.

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No. 383,605. Patented May 29, 1888.

HEEREN @um III Ny PETERS. Plvolo-Lkhograpber, Wnihngion. I'LC1 UnirseSTATES' AfraNr erica.

ALDEN D. VHEELER, OF HYDE PARK, MASSACHUSETTS.

APPARATUS FOR TESTING ELECTRIC CIRCUlTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 383,605, dated May 29,18E8.

Application filed February 2,1888. Serial No. 62385. (No model.l

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, ALBEN D. WHEELER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Hyde Park, in the county of Norfolk and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inApparatus for Testing Electric Circuits; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,and to letters or iigures of reference marked thereon, which form a partot this specification.

This invention relates to electric alarm circuits, particularly those inwhich a series of thermostats are employed to automatically create analarm when subjected to excessive heat.

The purpose of my invention is to arrange y the various circuit-wires inthe several systems in such manner that the breaking of a wire in acertain system will not impair the ei'iiciency of any thermostat in saidsystem, and in connection with said systems employ a circuit-testingapparatus, such that if a break exists at any point it can readily bediscovered and located. l

My invention is equally applicable to electric-light circuits ortelephone-lines, as will be apparent by the description hereinaftergiven.

"lhe drawings accompanying this specification represent, in Figure l, adiagram of an improved duplex system embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is aplan of the switch-board. Fig. 3 is a front elevation, and Fig. 4 a sideelevation, of a circuit-testing apparatus t0 be employed in connectiontherewith. Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation enlarged and transversely ofthe switch-board. Fig. 6 is a plan of the insulating-plate containingthe terminals of the several circuits. Figs. 7 and 8 represent anelevation and plan of a modified form of marker.

One feature oi' this invention is to prevent, even in the event of abreak in one ofthe circuit-wires, anypof the thermostats from being cutout from the system, and thus rendered inoperative.TothisendlhaveshowninFig.1 a diagram representing in elevation a seriesof circuits normally open,which extend throughout a building, premisingthe first-story circuit is No.` l, the second story No.2, and so cnprogressively upward, each number correspending to the door in whichthat particular system is located. In this diagram have provided agridiron or duplex system, socalled, with the thermostats at 4 4.Moreover, I have shown the several circuits as metallic and connectedwith a lire-alarm system, 5, of the most efficient kind, iu whicheithera vibrating alarm-bell, 6,0ra circuit breaking or controllingapparatus is located. This system is represented luy the heavy brokenlines. A galvanic battery is employed at 7 to furnish the requisitecurrent. Connected with the system is an annunciator, 8, provided withdrops corresponding to the several floors, and which are united with thecircuit-lines from said floors, as designated in the diagram.Furthermore, a series of switches adjusted to move simultaneously areemployed in connection with a testing apparatus, 9, the latter beingfully described in United States Letters Patent issued to myself March15, 1887, and numbered 359,838.

The prominent features in this apparatus coiisist of aninsulating-plate,D, in which are arranged the terminals ayb, az b2, a3 b3 of the severalindividual circuits. To successively connect these terminals to closeand test each of the individual circuits, I employ a metallic disk, A,carrying circuit-closers a I) c, The closer a cooperates with all theterminals a a2 a, closer b with terminals b if b3, and closer 'c withterminale. The disk A is moreover provided with a recording-dial, t',andis rotated by clock mechanism B, while a wire, X, common to all thecircuits, connects with an electro-magnet, G, operating a marker, F, andactively induced by the main'current of the system. Vibrating motionsofsaid marker may be produced by the alarmbell in the circuit. In theevent, however, there is no viloratory bell connected with a system therecord may be made with a pencil, stylus, or a small rotary wheel on endof the marker F, as shown in Fig. 7. Thus upon release of the clockmechanism the circuit-closers a b c are rotated, passing successivelyand quickly over the terminals of every circuit. Release ofthe clock iseffected by actuating the lever E, which disengages the catch-lever 7ifrom thestud g on the disk A.

If each circuit is in an efficient condition, the electro-magnet isexcited, the marker operated, and a record obtained. If the circuit isimperfect, no record is secured. The abovedescribed apparatus isintended' to operate with the duplex systems 1 2 3, (represented in Fig.1,) which is normally an open system, so called. The positive wires 1 23 ofthe several circuits pass through the annunciator 8 to theirrespective posts, r'cz k3, in the switchboard 10, thence extend throughthe several stories and enter the posts Z Z2 Z3 on the clock,

. finally terminating in the binding-posts m m2 m3 in the switch-board.A series of switches, n a2 n3, pivoted upon said posts, m m'l m3, areunited by a transverse rod, 12, of insulating material. Tlielatterhasanoperating-handle, 13, which is connected with and grasped by theleverE on the circuit-tester. The normal position of said switches is asshown in Fig. 3. Hence in the event ofa break at y yin circuit 1 thethermostats on either side of said break are operative to create analarm.

Intermediary positive wires, p p2 p3, enter the circuit-tester, asshown,while similar wires, g g2 g3, for the outgoing current unite withthe posts r r2 r3, the negative wires of the circuits terminating inposts m' -n m3. The switches which (fo-operate with the latter aredesignated as -a -a2 at From the above descriptionit is evident that allthe thermostats in the several systems are operative, as instanced, bythe course of a current through thermostat 43, which, when active,serves to close the circuit at that point. A current is thereby createdfrom the battery 7, annunciator 3, post k3, switch a3, post m3, to postZ3, by thermostat to post r3, post m3, switch a, thence upon thealarm-circuit 5 to cause an alarm. t

In Fig. 1 the diagram represents the testing ofthe several circuits tolind a break or defect in the wires, if any such exists. In saiddrawings the switches are thrown to one side of their co-operating stepsk lr? le* and --k --J -763 when the currents are compelled to enter andpass through the testing apparatus 9, as will now be shown. The operatoror watchman, when he pulls down the lever E by grasping .the handle 13,throws all the switches a oft' from their cooperating steps 7c andcompletely breaks all the circuits at this point. Such act releases thecatch h from the stud g and permits the clock mechanism B to revolve,thereby rotating the disk A. By actuating the switches, las shown, thecurrents of the several circuits are successively shortcircuited throughthe testing apparatus; and their passage therethrough will now bebrieiiy described as pertaining to wire 1 on circuit No. 1. The currentfrom battery 7 passes along wire 1 until post Z is reached, but by theposition of switch a it is diverged to wire p', terminal a', closer a,disk A, shaft x, to wire Y; from the latter to magnet G, wire X, toterminal ring e, by closer c to closer b and terminal b', whence itemerges by wire -g' to post -r' and common return-wire 12. said circuitis unbroken, the marker, stylus, or wheel will record the fact upon thepaper dial t', but otherwise no record will be obtained and a defect inany circuit is readily detected and recorded. After testing, theswitches are thrown back and the main-line circuits are again closed,with the certainty that the thermostatic fire-alarm or other electricalsystem is in perfect working condition.

What I desire to claim is- 1. In combination with a series of duplexopen circuits, a series of simultaneously-moving switches which controlsaid circuits at a designated point, and the lever connecting saidswitches with a circuit-testing apparatus and operating both theswitches and testing apparatus, a circuit-testing apparatus, asdescribed, having a rotary disk carrying closers, the fixedcircuit-terminals, and a series Aof secondary wires which unite saidtesting apparatus with the main circuits, whereby movement'of theswitches serves to open the circuits and release the circuit-testingapparatus,

said circuits being successively short-circuitedv therethrough,forpurposes herein set forth and specified.

2. The combination, with a series of duplex open circuits, a series ofswitches, their operating-lever, the current-generator 7, annunciator 8,and the co-operating tire-alarm system 5, of a circuit-testing apparatusactively set in motion by the switch-lever and composed of a rotarydisk, its actuating mechanism, the recording-dial and circuitclosers,which wipe successively the insulated terminals ot" said duplex opencircuits, the electro-magnet common to the latter, and a vibratingmarker or movable stylus actuated at each successive test, one of saidcircuit-closers operating with all the terminals a et? of one set, andthe other circuit-closer operating with all the terminals b b2 of theother set in the several circuits upon simultaneous movement of a serieso't' switches, a' n. and -a m2, to open the main circuits, as hereinspecified.

3. The combination, in an electric duplex system having a pair ofswitches, a -a, and the lever E, interconnecting with a circuittestingapparatus and simultaneously operating said switches and testingapparatus, of a circuit-testing apparatus, 9, substantially asdescribed, and the secondary wires p g', which short-circuit the currenton movement of said switches to open every circuit at a designatedpoint, and the marker F, common to each systern, actuated intermittentlyby such movement and at each successive test ot' the individual circuitswhen intact,for purposes herein set forth and described.

In testimony whereof Iaftix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALBEN D. VHEELER.

1f the IZO

